Oscar's new scroll: fleeting thank-yous and the promise of a puppy

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - They were supposed to free up Oscar recipients to say something profound during their 45 allotted seconds on stage.

But the thank-you scrolls that ran at the bottom of the screen for the first time at the 88th Academy Awards on Sunday didn't noticeably curtail the winners' shout-outs from the dais. Nor did they lead to an over-abundance of eloquent messages.

The scroll was a river of names flowing swiftly across the bottom of the screen, moving too fast for any but the most motivated readers to follow. Some nominees used only first names, others added surnames, too.

On Twitter, viewers were largely critical of the scroll, with some likening it to a school closure ticker or an emergency warning system, while others called it a distraction.

Comedian Paula Poundstone tweeted: "I hate the scroll at the bottom of the screen. It has no soul."

Only one Oscar winner drew widespread social media raves for his scroll: Pete Docter, co-winner of the Oscar for animated feature film. He closed his list of thank-yous with a note to his children: "Nick & Elie - okay yes, let's get a dog."

When Lesley Vanderwalt, Elka Wardega and Damian Martin won the award for makeup and hairstyling for their work on "Mad Max: Fury Road," their list of acknowledgments concluded with a nod to cosmetics and skin care brands, including MAC, Cosmesis and Bluebird.

The scroll of Gabriel Osorio and Pato Escala, winners of the best animated short film, included thanks to the Chilean government and Brooks Brothers.
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